In eCommerce, there's a common assumption:
More products = more sales.
But what if that logic is actually hurting your store's performance?
Both psychology and game theory suggest something counterintuitive: Too many choices can crush your conversion rate.
Let's break down why - and how smart brands are fixing it.
From Speed Dating to Shopify: What Fewer Choices Do to the Brain
In a classic speed dating study, participants who had fewer potential matches were far more likely to make a decision and choose a partner.
Study Example:
When they had 6–8 options, people made confident choices.
With 20+, they got stuck, overanalyzed, and often walked away with nothing.
(D'Angelo & Toma, 2017)
This same mental pattern shows up on Shopify stores every day, especially in high-SKU verticals like cosmetics, fashion, and apparel.
The Psychology Behind It: Choice Overload
This phenomenon is known as choice overload, or the paradox of choice.
The best-known study comes from Columbia University, where researchers offered jam samples to shoppers:
- One group saw 24 flavors
- Another saw just 6
While the large display attracted more attention, only 3% of those shoppers made a purchase. The smaller set? Converted at 30%. (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000)
When faced with too many options, the brain freezes. The decision feels harder. And most people default to doing nothing.
On your store, that might look like:
- Cart abandonment
- High bounce rates
- A drop in conversion rate
- Shoppers choosing nothing over choosing the "wrong" thing
How It Plays Out on a Shopify Store
You've probably seen this firsthand:
- Endless dropdowns
- Dozens of nearly identical products
- Filters so complex they feel like tax forms
These UX patterns don't help shoppers - they overwhelm them. And when shoppers feel overwhelmed, conversion rates drop.
How to Fix It: Simplify, Guide, and Show
High-performing Shopify brands don't just offer products - they guide choices.
Here's how they do it:
How high-performing brands guide choices:
- Show fewer options upfront: Highlight your best sellers and top-performing SKUs
- Create bundles: Reduce the number of decisions by combining popular items
- Add “Best for You” indicators: Use data to highlight what shoppers are likely to love
- Leverage shoppable videos: Let your products come to life through confident, short video content
And that last one isn't just a trend - it's proven.
According to Wyzowl's 2024 Video Marketing Report:
Video Stats:
- 88% of people say they've been convinced to buy a product by watching a video
- Landing pages with video see up to 80% higher conversion rates (Wyzowl’s 2024 Video Marketing Report)
Why Shoppable Videos Are a Game-Changer
When shoppers can see how a product moves, fits, or applies - especially in beauty or fashion - uncertainty disappears.
But managing videos manually? That's a time suck.
That's where Tellos comes in.
Meet Tellos: The AI-Powered Video App for Shopify Brands
Tellos is the easiest way to add fully-automated shoppable video feeds to your Shopify store.
- No manual tagging
- No dev work
- No ongoing maintenance
You post content to social - Tellos AI does the rest.
We fetch your videos, recognize the products, auto-tag them, and display them across PDPs, collection pages, and homepages. Then we personalize the experience for every shopper based on what captures their attention.
The result?
Higher conversion rates, stronger AOV, and a TikTok-style experience - right inside your Shopify store.
TL;DR - Too Many Choices = Fewer Purchases
If you want more people to buy, stop overwhelming them with options.
- Reduce the noise.
- Highlight what matters.
- Let video do the selling.
Because at the end of the day, shoppers don't want everything - they want something that feels right.